Chirps and Cheeps

Today, Celeste and I took a drive out to Irondequoit Bay where a regional rarity was found by Brian Morse.  Brian found a Great Cormorant at the Newport Marina on Dec. 31st!  What a great find!

It was still bitter cold this morning but we managed to endure the stiff winds long enough to grab a few photos of this large cormorant.  There were a few Double-crested Cormorants nearby, along with a few ducks and gulls.  The open water has been freezing little by little and I don't imagine this cormorant will want to stay much longer.  Hurry if you want to see this guy!

After Newport Marina, we headed on to a few other Rochester hotspots, adding a few new year birds to our lists.  I think, besides a dark Snowy Owl, a Fish Crow was the day's favorite.  Not only did we get to hear their call but one flew right overhead!

Out on Church Road, we saw all 3 field birds in a large flock: Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and Lapland Longspurs.  Unfortunately, they were too far out for photos.

All in all, it was a very good day!